LOCATION SNOWMORE                NV+ID

Established Series
Rev. RAF/TM/RLB/JBF
02/2012

SNOWMORE SERIES

The Snowmore series consists of moderately deep to duripan, well drained soils that formed in loess over residuum derived from basalt and rhyolite. Snowmore soils are on summits, shoulders and side slopes of plateaus, mountains, calderas, structural benches and hills. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. The mean annual precipitation is about 230 mm and the mean annual temperature is about 8 degrees C.

TAXONOMIC CLASS: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Xeric Argidurids

TYPICAL PEDON: Snowmore cobbly fine sandy loam--rangeland. (Colors are for dry soil unless otherwise noted.) The soil surface is partially covered with approximately 10 percent gravel, 10 percent cobbles, and 5 percent small stones.

A1--0 to 5 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly fine sandy loam, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; weak fine platy structure parting to weak fine granular; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; common very fine roots; many fine and very fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel, 15 percent cobbles and 5 percent stones; slightly alkaline (pH 7.6); abrupt smooth boundary. (5 to 10 cm thick)

A2--5 to 10 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) cobbly fine sandy loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate fine platy structure; slightly hard, very friable, nonsticky and nonplastic; few medium and many very fine roots; common very fine vesicular pores; 10 percent gravel and 10 percent cobbles; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt smooth boundary. (0 to 10 cm thick)

Bt1--10 to 20 cm; light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; weak medium subangular blocky structure; slightly hard, very friable, slightly sticky and moderately plastic; common fine and very fine roots; common fine tubular and interstitial pores; few thin clay films lining pores; 10 percent gravel; slightly alkaline (pH 7.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (5 to 23 cm thick)

Bt2--20 to 33 cm; pale brown (10YR 6/3) loam, brown (10YR 4/3) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, friable, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few medium and coarse, common fine and very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; common moderately thick clay films on ped faces and lining pores; 5 percent gravel; moderately alkaline (pH 8.0); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 20 cm thick)

Bq--33 to 41 cm; light yellowish brown (10YR 6/4) loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; hard, firm, moderately sticky and moderately plastic; few very fine roots; few very fine interstitial pores; continuous brittle matrix; 15 percent brittle durinodes; 5 percent gravel; strongly alkaline (pH 8.6); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 20 cm thick).

Bqk--41 to 56 cm; very pale brown (10YR 7/4) gravelly clay loam, dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) moist; massive; hard, firm, slightly sticky and slightly plastic; few very fine roots; continuous weak silica and lime cementation; 20 percent brittle durinodes; 20 percent gravel, 5 percent cobbles; common fine lime in soft masses and filaments; strongly effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (0 to 50 cm thick).

Bqkm--56 to 71 cm; very pale brown (10YR 8/2) indurated duripan, dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) moist; massive; extremely hard, extremely firm; violently effervescent; strongly alkaline (pH 8.8); abrupt wavy boundary. (8 to 25 cm thick).

2R--71 cm; rhyolite bedrock.

TYPE LOCATION: Elko County, Nevada; approximately 23 miles northwest of Midas; about 2,260 feet north and 990 feet west of the southeast corner of section 19, T. 42 N., R. 45 E.; USGS Humboldt Hill 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle; latitude 41 degrees, 31 minutes, 25 seconds N and longitude 116 degrees, 58 minutes, 33 seconds W; NAD 83.

RANGE IN CHARACTERISTICS:
Soil moisture: Usually dry, moist in winter and spring, dry in June through October; aridic soil moisture regime bordering on xeric.
Mean annual soil temperature: 8 to 11 degrees C.
Depth to Bq horizon: 28 to 46 cm.
Depth to duripan: 50 to 86 cm.
Depth to bedrock: 53 to 100 cm.

Particle-size control section - Clay content: 20 to 35 percent.
Rock fragments: 0 to 15 percent, mainly gravel.

A horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry 3 or 4 moist, the upper 7 cm after mixing, does not have both value of 5 dry or 3 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Reaction: Neutral or mildly alkaline.

Bt horizon
Value: 5 or 6 dry.
Chroma: 2 through 4.
Texture: Loam, silt loam, clay loam or sandy clay loam.
Consistence: Slightly sticky or sticky and slightly plastic or plastic, wet.
Reaction: Mildly alkaline or moderately alkaline.

Bq, Bqk horizons (when present)
Value: 6 or 7 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 3 or 4
Texture: Loam, gravelly or cobbly fine sandy loam, gravelly loam or gravelly clay loam.
Structure: Subangular blocky or is massive.
Reaction: Moderately alkaline or strongly alkaline.
Effervescence: Noneffervescent to strongly effervescent.

Bqkm horizon
Value: 7 or 8 dry, 4 or 5 moist.
Chroma: 2 or 3.
Structure: Platy or is massive.

COMPETING SERIES: These are the Arbidge, Dacker, Deerlodge, Ditchcamp, Drysel, Exel, Hager, Idow, Lowjet, Rakane, Wako, Wellsed and Wendell series.

Arbidge, Dacker, Deerlodge, Exel, Lojet Rakane, Wellsed and Wendell soils lack bedrock within 100 cm. Ditchcamp soils are slightly acid or neutral and lack lime in their duripans. Drysel, Idow, and Rankane soils are not underlain by bedrock below the duripan. Hager and Wako soils have bedrock at 100 to 150 cm. Wendell soils do not contain a Bg horizon that has a continuous brittle matrix.

GEOGRAPHIC SETTING: Snowmore soils are on summits, shoulders and side slopes of tablelands, calderas, structural benches, plateaus, mountains and hills. They formed in loess over residuum derived from basalt or rhyolite. Slopes are 0 to 30 percent. Elevations are 1,070 to 1,865 meters. The climate is cool, semiarid with warm, dry summers and cool, moist winters. The mean annual precipitation is 200 to 300 mm, mean annual temperature is 7 to 10 degrees C, and the frost-free season is 90 to 130 days.

GEOGRAPHICALLY ASSOCIATED SOILS: These are the Colthorp, Linkup, Ratsow, and Reina series. Colthorp and Reina soils are shallow to a duripan. Linkup soils are shallow over bedrock. Ratsow soils have greater than 35 percent clay in the argillic horizon.

DRAINAGE AND SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY: Well drained; slow or medium runoff; moderately high saturated hydraulic conductivity.

USE AND VEGETATION: Livestock grazing and wildlife habitat. The present vegetation is mainly Wyoming big sagebrush, Sandberg bluegrass, Indian ricegrass, Webber ricegrass, Letterman needlegrass, and Nevada bluegrass.

DISTRIBUTION AND EXTENT: North-central Nevada and southwestern Idaho. MLRA 25, 24, 11. Snowmore soils are moderately extent.

MLRA SOIL SURVEY REGIONAL OFFICE (MO) RESPONSIBLE: Phoenix, Arizona

SERIES ESTABLISHED: Northwestern Elko County Area, Nevada. 1986.

REMARKS: Diagnostic horizons and features recognized in this pedon are:
Argillic horizon - The zone from 10 to 33 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).
Xeric intergrades - Meets organic carbon requirement for xerollic.
Duripan - The zone from 56 to 71 cm (Bkqm horizon).
Lithic contact - The boundary at about 71 cm (2R layer).
Particle-size control section - The zone from 10 to 33 cm (Bt1 and Bt2 horizons).

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National Cooperative Soil Survey
U.S.A.